Metal tag



H.'NIERHAU$ April 1,1952

METAL TAG Filed Feb. 23, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

I Patented Apr. 1 1952 METAL TAG Hem-y Nierhaus, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignor to Stoffel Seals Corporation, Tuckahoe, N. Y.

Application February 23, 1949, Serial No. 77,969

9 Claims.

The invention relates to tags and more particularly to tags for attachment to skin-like or soft foldable material, to be used as breast tags for chickens or the like or as price tickets for sheer fabrics or other materials that should not be pierced by staples or pins.

The object of the invention is to provide a tag that can be attached with a minimum of effort, and without damaging the merchandise or article to which the tag is secured.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means of attachment where the skin or other material of the-article to be tagged is pinched between foldable surfaces which interlock in the closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel tag which may be attached in difierent manners so that its field of application and utility are increased.

The invention also aims at an improved article of manufacture that is easy to handle and has a neat appearance, as well as being economical to manufacture.

While the novel tag is not intended to be tamperproof, it is nevertheless the aim that the tag when attached is secure so that it does not fall ofi in handling of the article, and that it can only be removed in the manner intended.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing submitted for the purpose of illustration and not to define the scope of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the subjoined claims. In the drawing, where similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved tag; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation taken on line 22 'of'Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a back elevation of the tag;

Fig. 4, a sectional elevation of the tag shown attached to the breast of a chicken;

Fig. 5, a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6, a-section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7, a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 2 but showing a slight modification; and

Fig. 8, a sectional elevation of the closed and attached tag of the modified construction.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practised or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not-limitation.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-6 the tag has a slightly curved body portion I0 on the face II of which may be printed the quality, price, or identification of the article or merchandise to which the tag is to be attached. The entire tag is stamped from a single piece of sheet metal partly folded at I2 and comprising the above-mentioned body portion I0 and a flap I3, the central portion of which is bent out of the plane of said flap to form a tongue I4 foldable at I5 and being reinforced by suitable rib I6 to prevent bending of the tongue at any point except where it joins flap I3. This tongue forms an obtuse angle with the lower portion of flap I3 to act in the manner of a toggle when the tag is folded together, whereby tip I! of the tongue is interlocked with a curved lip I8 at the upper end of body portion II). The sides of body portion II] are bent slightly back as illustrated in Fig. 5 to present a smooth, slightly curved face free from sharp corners or edges. Closing of the tag is performed by folding fiap I3 upon body portion I0, the material being ductile enough to retain its bent shape after closing. For use as a breast tag for chickens or the like, tip ll of tongue I4 must be sufficiently sharp or pointed so that when pushed against the skin of a chicken it digs in to produce a welt or fold I9, which numeral 20 indicates the breast of a chicken or other similar article. For this purpose, the tag is held between forefinger and thumb and squeezed together to bend at point I2. After the tip of the tongue and welt I9 contact the inside surface of the body portion I0, the toggle action starts where upon further closing of the tag the distance between point I2 and tip I! becomes lengthened so that the latter becomes locked under lip I8 with the skin of the chicken pinched between, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Thus the closed position of flap I3 is secured not only through the newly bent section at I2, but also through tongue I6 retaining its new shape at [5 and being interlocked with lip IS. The extremities 2| of flap I3 may be considered as finger rests and as separately extending levers to provide a better leverage when moving the flap to closed condition of the tag and thus to reduce the force required for this manual operation.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 the construction is substantially the same as described except that the tongue 22 has a bend or central curved portion adapted to fit through the space between the two fiap extensions 2|. The object of this construction is to adapt the tagto be used in the manner illustrated where a fold of skin 23 is placed or held between tongue 22 and tabs 2I so that when the tag is closed the skin is pinched between tongue 22 and tabs 2|. In order to make the fastening more secure, a barb 24 is provided which prevents extraction of the skin when the tag is closed. As illustrated in Fig. 8 in the folded or attached position, the tip -oftongue 22interlocks with lip I8 in the tween the inner edge of each tab and the adjacent rib [6 to accommodate the skin or fabric wedged between.

The removal of the tag by the consumer is effected by inserting a convenient instrument (per example a kitchen knife) between the body portion or face wall and flap [3 to pry the two surfaces apart, it being undesirable to tear or otherwise injure the skin.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1-. A metal tag adapted to be attached to a thin'foldable-material, comprising a body portionhaving aface for carrying print or markings, a flap foldable upon the back surface of said body'portion, a tongue extending from said flap to-form an obtuse angle therewith so that the distance between the tip of said tongue and the'base' of said flap is shortened, interlocking means on said body portion located to engage with the tip of said tongue upon folding of said flap against said body portion to pinch part of said thin foldable material between said tongueandsaid locking means, and an extension on saidfiap-to decrease the force required to fold said tag.

2: A tag manufactured of a single piece of sheet metal strap bent to form a body portion anda flap portion in opposed relation with each other, a curled lip on said body portion and facing saidfiap portion to serveas locking means therefor, a tongue struck out of the plane of said flap portion in'a direction to be nearer said body portion and to form an obtuse angle with the base plane of said flap portion so that the tip of said tongue is in interlocking'relationship with said lip in the closed position, and reinforcing means in said'tongue to provide longitudinal rigidity, said flap portion extending a substantial distance beyond the apex of the obtuse angle formed by the lower portion of said flap and said tongue to decrease the-force required to close said-tag.

3. A tag manufactured of a'single piece of sheet metal'strap bent to form a face portion and a fiapportion in opposed relation with each other, a curled lip at the free end of said-face portion to serve as locking means, a tongue struck outof the plane of said flap portiontowards the back of said faceportion, said tongue being located insuch aposition thatwhen said flap is closedin the assembly operation, the base of said tongue isclose tothe-middle of the back of said face portion and the tip of said tongueis engaged and interlocked with: said curled lip, said flap portion extending beyond thebase of saidtongue to facilitate closingof saidtag in the attaching operation, and longitudinal reinforcing ribs in said tongue.

4. The construction as claimed in claim 4, and abend in the middleportion of said tongue, said bend being like a bulge directed outwardly in respect to said tag and towards the opening in saidfiap portion produced when said tongue was struck out.

5. The construction as claimed in claim 4, where said reinforcing ribs are produced by bending the sideedges over so that said tongue is narrower than the slot which was produced in said flap portion when said tongue was struck out,

said slot being open at the outer end to facilitate the insertion of a fold or thin part of an article between said tongue and the outer extremities of said flap portion to secure said fold or thin part upon manual closure of said tag.

6. The construction as claimed in claim 5, and abend in said tongue, the bulge of said bend being directed towards said slot.

7. All patentable features and elements of the invention herein described, disclosed and/or shown in the accompanying drawing, either singly or in combination, and any particle of such features and elements thereof not embraced in any of the preceding claims.

8;.A metal tag adapted to be attached. to a thin. foldable material, comprising a body portion having aface for carrying print or markings, a. fiapfoldable upon the back surface of said body portion, said fiapbeing folded in manufacture to such anextent as to leave a sufficient. opening between saidbody portion and said flap. to facilitate the insertion. of said thin foldable material, atongue struck out of the plane of said flap and extending centrally and angularlyv outward in a. direction where its tip is nearer said'body. portion than the remainder. of said flap, the remainder of said flap including two outer extremities forming separate levers for the engagement of. the fingers of. thehand of an. operator, and locking. means on said body portionlocated for interlocking relationship with saidtip of said tongue when said flap is moved by pressing said outer extremitiesv toward said locking means.

9. A.metal tag comprising a body portion having two ends, one endof saidbody portion being provided with a flap integral. with said body portion, the other endv of, said body portionbeing provided witha curledlipextending toward the rear face of said: body portion and facing said flap, said. flap. including three separate extensions, central'extension and outer. extensions, respectively, said central extensionbeing bendable with respect to. the remainder of said flap, said central extension being bent out of the. plane with respectto that ofsaidouter extensions and being engageable by means of its tip with said curled lip in folded and closed position of. said tag,,whereby said central: extension is bent back toward theplane of said. flap withoutbecoming coplanar with said outer extensions and theremainder 'of; said flap, said outer. extensions forming-levers. and finger; rests to swing said central extension into engagement of its tip with said curled lip.

HENRY NIERHAUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

